First of all, how do you like my title for this post? I had to do something witty as there was no other way to describe all the temples in Ayutthaya. The word WAT is actually used in Southeast Asia for a Buddhist monastery or temple and Ayutthaya is the spot to find them in.
After one month in Cambodia and my time on the Thai Island, Koh Chang, it was time to head back to Bangkok. Going back to my usual hotel (L.A. Residence 49) I feel like I just returned home. It is always nice to have a base in between all the travels. Above all, before I’m going to continue my journey to Laos and Vietnam I have a wedding to attend here. Can‘t wait!
Ayutthaya
As I had a little bit of extra time before the big event I decided to head north of Bangkok, to Ayutthaya. In addition the trip was a great way to escape the bustling Bangkok for one night. All I had to do is catch the sky train to the northern station ‚Mo Chit‘ and take a mini van bus to Ayutthaya for 60THB. Easy done!
The city Ayutthaya was once the capital of the Kingdom of Siam, and, sitting on an island between 3 rivers it was a prosperous international trading port. Furthermore the ruins of the old city form the Ayutthaya Historical Park is now an archaeological site full of Buddhist temples, monasteries and statues. Certainly something different to see.
Ayutthaya doesn‘t seem as busy as Siem Reap in Cambodia, another temple city. It is certainly great because you can walk around and take photos within the temples without big groups of tourists in your way. In contrast, because it isn‘t a big tourist spot, restaurants are rare and hard to spot. By Restaurants I mean ones that aren‘t Thai street food spots of course. Those you can always find anywhere but I still try to avoid them.
Cycling in Ayutthaya
The best way to get around the city island to visit all the temples is with a bicycle. And seriously, I can‘t remember last time I was riding a bike. Maybe 13 years ago? Luckily I had access to a free bike at the hotel so, after a wobbly start, off I went. What a great feeling!
Temples in Ayutthaya
As mentioned above the city is surrounded by many temple (wat) ruins. Some were for free, while some you paid a small entry fee that went into the restoration funds. Sounds perfect. In addition almost all of them were outdoors or in parks and therefore made it easy to spot. I didn‘t visit every wat ruin, only the ones I thought looked appealing and interesting to me. Because, really, how to know what Wat to watch?
From Wat Nok and the famous Buddha head amongst the tree roots to the bigger Wat Chaiwatthanaram, all were great to see. However the best one for me was the reclining Buddha (Phra Buddha Sai Yat) due to his immense size. I liked the smile on this giant Buddha, just lying there, in a relaxed posed. How can you be so happy when you‘re soo big?
While exploring the city the mix of ancient and modern was particularly visible when I noticed kids playing soccer in front of the Wat Jao Prab Monument that sat in one of the city parks.
Trip Summary
Otherwise there is really not much more to say about Ayutthaya and the wats. If you have time it is great to see, there is lots of history to find after all. If you are not sure I hope my travel photos give you an idea of what you can expect.
For me it was definitely a great to get away from the busy city Bangkok and see something different. Also, riding around on a bike was super fun which as a result added to my daily activity that I usually try and keep. The way back to Bangkok was once again very easy and the lack of traffic made it even faster (1 hour by mini bus). I have finally a few more days left of Bangkok before my friend’s wedding and even more of Asia!
